Reading Terminal Market

Reading Terminal is a must-see if you are in the city of Philadelphia. On a recent trip into the city with my friend Linda who was visiting from Chicago, I felt compelled to give her a tour of this market in the heart of historic Philadelphia which seems to embody the spirit of this old city. The original structure which was intended to be a train shed was built in 1893 but was eventually converted to house a marketplace which exists even today and is now considered a part of the convention centre. This market hosts a multitude of local and ethnic crafters, merchants and food vendors. The array of fresh produce, seafood, meat, condiments and candy is truly mind boggling. Amish specialty stores play a vital role and while some glass cases display breads and cake of every conceivable kind, others have wooden shelving crammed with jams, jellies and pickles. We were amused by the chocolate noses, ears and teeth that seem to be the highlight of every candy store at this time of year and quickly buy some walnut fudge to quench the munchies brought on by this onslaught of food and more food....

Our greatest dilemma was choosing between the creperie, the cheesesteak sandwiches and the Chinese food. As we made our way around I noticed a suspiciously long line in front of a small Thai place. A decision was made to join the queue- would so many people line up to eat bad food? We each got our own red curry with chicken and bamboo shoots, found two seats in the center of the market which is lined with rows of tables and chairs and dug in. As unlikely a place for a good Thai curry as a marketplace in Philly may appear to be- I can say quite honestly that it was authentic and well flavored and in fact ranks high on my list of places to eat Thai food at in our neck of the woods.

We had quickly agreed on the train into the city to put our diets and conscience to rest in order to indulge, binge, over eat or what ever the word may be. So shortly after the curry, off we went to get a farm fresh ice cream- she got the Rocky road and I the dark chocolate. Although we spent a few hours there, one can easily spend an entire afternoon browsing through endless stores- my only advice is to go there on an empty stomach and to carry a back pack to bring some of the goodies back home; preferably one with wheels!